[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 121 (Tuesday, September 11, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6238-S6239]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RESOLUTIONS SUBMITTED TODAY
Mr. BROWN of Ohio. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to
the immediate consideration en bloc of the following resolutions which
were submitted earlier today: S. Res. 548, S. Res. 549, and S. Res.
550.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolutions en bloc.
Mr. BROWN of Ohio. I ask unanimous consent the resolutions be agreed
to, the preambles be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon
the table en bloc, with no intervening action or debate, and that any
statements related to the resolutions be printed in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolutions were agreed to.
The preambles were agreed to.
The resolutions, with their preambles, read as follows:
S. Res. 548
(Designating the week beginning September 9, 2012, as ``National Direct
Support Professionals Recognition Week.'')
Whereas direct support professionals, direct care workers,
personal assistants, personal attendants, in-home support
workers, and paraprofessionals (referred to in this preamble
as ``direct support professionals'') are the primary
providers of publicly funded long term supports and services
for millions of individuals with disabilities;
Whereas a direct support professional must build a close,
trusted relationship with an individual with disabilities;
Whereas a direct support professional assists an individual
with disabilities with the most intimate needs on a daily
basis;
Whereas direct support professionals perform a broad range
of activities for individuals with disabilities, including
preparing meals, managing medications, bathing, dressing,
helping with mobility, providing transportation to school,
work, and religious and recreational activities, and helping
with general daily affairs;
Whereas a direct support professional provides essential
support to help keep an individual with disabilities
connected to the family and community of the individual;
Whereas direct support professionals enable individuals
with disabilities to live meaningful, productive lives;
Whereas direct support professionals are the key to
allowing an individual with disabilities to live successfully
in the community and avoid more costly institutional care;
Whereas the majority of direct support professionals are
female, and many are the sole breadwinners of their families;
Whereas, although direct support professionals work and pay
taxes, many are impoverished and are eligible for the same
Federal and State public assistance programs that individuals
with disabilities depend on;
Whereas Federal policies, State policies, and the opinion
of the Supreme Court in Olmstead v. L.C., 527 U.S. 581 (1999)
assert the right of an individual to live in his or her home
and community;
Whereas the majority of direct support professionals are
employed in home and community-based settings, and the
percentage of direct support professionals employed in such
settings is projected to increase during this decade;
Whereas there is a documented critical and growing shortage
of direct support professionals in every community throughout
the United States; and
Whereas many direct support professionals are forced to
leave jobs due to inadequate wages and benefits, creating
high turnover and vacancy rates, which, research
demonstrates, adversely affects the quality of supports
provided to individuals with disabilities: Now, therefore, be
it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) designates the week beginning September 9, 2012, as
``National Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week'';
(2) recognizes the dedication and vital role of direct
support professionals, direct care workers, personal
assistants, personal attendants, in-home support workers, and
paraprofessionals (referred to in this resolution as ``direct
support professionals'') in enhancing the lives of
individuals of all ages with disabilities;
(3) appreciates the contribution of direct support
professionals in serving needs that are beyond the capacity
of millions of families in the United States;
(4) commends direct support professionals as integral
participants in the long-term support and services system of
the United States; and
(5) finds that the successful implementation of the
public policies of the United States depends on the
dedication of direct support professionals.
S. Res. 549
(Designating September 2012 as ``Campus Fire Safety Month.'')
Whereas, each year, States across the United States
formally designate the month of September as ``Campus Fire
Safety Month'';
Whereas, since January 2000, at least 152 people, including
students, parents, and children, have died in campus-related
fires;
Whereas 85 percent of those deaths occurred in off-campus
residences;
Whereas a majority of college students in the United States
live in an off-campus residence;
Whereas many fatal fires have occurred in a building in
which the occupants had compromised or disabled the fire
safety system;
Whereas automatic fire alarm systems provide the early
warning of a fire that is necessary for occupants of a
building and the fire department to take appropriate action;
Whereas automatic fire sprinkler systems are a highly
effective method of controlling or extinguishing a fire in
the early stages, thus protecting the lives of building
occupants;
Whereas many college students live in an off-campus
residence, fraternity or sorority housing, or a residence
hall that is not adequately protected by automatic fire
sprinkler systems and automatic fire alarm systems;
Whereas fire safety education is an effective method of
reducing the occurrence of fires and the resulting loss of
life and property damage;
Whereas college students do not routinely receive effective
fire safety education while in college;
Whereas educating young people in the United States about
the importance of fire safety is vital to help ensure that
young people engage in fire-safe behavior during college and
after college; and
Whereas developing a generation of adults who practice fire
safety may significantly reduce future loss of life from
fires: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) designates September 2012 as ``Campus Fire Safety
Month''; and
(2) encourages administrators of institutions of higher
education and municipalities across the United States--
(A) to provide educational programs to all college
students in September and throughout the school year;
(B) to evaluate the level of fire safety being provided
in both on-campus and off-campus student housing; and
(C) to ensure fire-safe living environments through fire
safety education, the installation of fire suppression and
detection systems, and the development and enforcement of
applicable codes relating to fire safety.
S. Res. 550
(Designating September 13, 2012, as ``National Celiac Disease Awareness
Day.'')
Whereas according to the National Center for Health
Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
celiac disease affects approximately 1 in every 141 people in
the United States;
Whereas the majority of people with celiac disease have yet
to be diagnosed;
Whereas celiac disease is a chronic inflammatory disorder
that is classified as both an autoimmune condition and a
genetic condition;
Whereas celiac disease causes damage to the lining of the
small intestine, which results in overall malnutrition;
Whereas when a person with celiac disease consumes foods
that contain certain protein fractions, that person suffers a
cell-mediated immune response that damages the villi of the
small intestine, interfering with the absorption of nutrients
in food and the effectiveness of medications;
Whereas such problematic protein fractions are found in
wheat, barley, rye, and oats, which are used to produce many
foods, medications, and vitamins;
Whereas because celiac disease is a genetic disease, there
is an increased incidence of celiac disease in families with
a known history of celiac disease;
Whereas celiac disease is underdiagnosed because the
symptoms can be attributed to other conditions and are easily
overlooked by doctors and patients;
Whereas as recently as 2000, the average person with celiac
disease waited 11 years for a correct diagnosis;
Whereas \1/2\ of all people with celiac disease do not show
symptoms of the disease;
Whereas celiac disease is diagnosed by tests that measure
the blood for abnormally high levels of the antibodies of
immunoglobulin A, antitissue transglutaminase, and IgA
antiendomysium antibodies;
Whereas celiac disease can be treated only by implementing
a diet free of wheat, barley, rye, and oats, often called a
``gluten-free diet'';
Whereas a delay in the diagnosis of celiac disease can
result in damage to the small intestine, which leads to an
increased risk for
[[Page S6239]]
malnutrition, anemia, lymphoma, adenocarcinoma, osteoporosis,
miscarriage, congenital malformation, short stature, and
disorders of the skin and other organs;
Whereas celiac disease is linked to many autoimmune
disorders, including thyroid disease, systemic lupus
erythematosus, type 1 diabetes, liver disease, collagen
vascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and Sjogren's
syndrome;
Whereas the connection between celiac disease and diet was
first established by Dr. Samuel Gee, who wrote, ``if the
patient can be cured at all, it must be by means of diet'';
Whereas Dr. Samuel Gee was born on September 13, 1839; and
Whereas the Senate is an institution that can raise
awareness in the general public and the medical community of
celiac disease: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) designates September 13, 2012, as ``National Celiac
Disease Awareness Day'';
(2) recognizes that all people of the United States
should become more informed and aware of celiac disease;
(3) calls upon the people of the United States to observe
National Celiac Disease Awareness Day with appropriate
ceremonies and activities; and
(4) respectfully requests the Secretary of the Senate to
transmit a copy of this resolution to the Celiac Sprue
Association, the American Celiac Society, and the Celiac
Disease Foundation.
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